Iceland on Stan Grams Photography

Iceland's South West: Reykjanes

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Day 9 opens among the colours of Seltún, where red and ochre slopes meet pale mineral crusts, blue-gray mud pools, and drifting steam. Small figures on the boardwalk give scale to the bare, restless ground. Along the coast, Strandarkirkja stands above a green churchyard with the Atlantic behind it, while nearby views turn to white surf breaking against dark lava. At Gunnuhver, a thick plume rises over stained rocks and the remains of a wooden walkway, with geothermal buildings visible across the plain. The final photograph follows a narrow path toward the old lighthouse at Garðskagi, its faded red bands lifting a little colour into the gray meeting of sea and sky.

Iceland's West: From Snæfellsnes to Reykjavík

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Black volcanic shores and snow-streaked slopes opened the journey along Snæfellsnes. At Arnarstapi, the coast broke into arches, sheltered inlets, and rocky ledges above clear blue water, while fishing boats rested close together in the small harbour. Stapafell rose above green fields and a pond scattered with white birds. Farther along the peninsula, Búðakirkja’s black timber and white windows stood against mountains and shifting clouds. The shoreline then invited a slower look: seals lay on seaweed at low tide, and a duck gathered its ducklings among the rocks. At Akranes, two white lighthouses marked the edge of the sea beneath sweeping clouds. Reykjavík brought the tall façade of Hallgrímskirkja, followed by a quieter finish beside flowing water, small cascades, summer flowers, and another family of ducks.

Iceland's West: From Bólstaðarhlíð to Snæfellsnes

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

White water and dark canyon walls opened the day, followed by a small church beneath a banded mountain and an empty road across open country. At Stykkishólmur, grassy paths led to the orange lighthouse on Súgandisey, with quiet islands offshore and boats moored in the harbour below. Farther along the coast, still water reflected the subdued light beneath snow-streaked ridges. Kirkjufell rose above waterfalls and green pasture, where pale and dark horses stood against the mountain. An aerial view of Svöðufoss brought together falling water, basalt columns, and the distant ice of Snæfellsjökull. The final images lingered over volcanic mounds, a slender radio mast, and purple lupines around Ingjaldshóll church as a narrow band of gold brightened the horizon.

Iceland's North: From Mývatn to Bólstaðarhlíð

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The day opened in the restless volcanic country north of Mývatn, where steam rose from Krafla’s ochre ridges and dark lava fields. From the gray bowl of Hverfjall, the route descended toward Mývatn’s green pseudocraters, quiet water, and sheep-grazed slopes. Goðafoss brought a sudden wall of white water and mist before the drive turned west beneath low clouds and shifting shafts of sunlight. Horses gathered in luminous pasture as rainbows touched the mountains, while empty roads crossed broad valleys and moss-covered plains. Near the eastern end of Vatnsskarð, the stone monument at Arnarstapi recalled poet Stephan G. Stephansson and the Icelanders who emigrated to North America. The final frames held the mountains, streams, grazing horses, and lingering brightness of a Skagafjörður summer evening.

Iceland's Sunny North: From Mjóifjörður to Mývatn

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The day began beside the still blue water and steep, snow-streaked walls of remote Mjóifjörður, where a rusting landing craft rests on the shore and sheep wander across the quiet road. Climbing out of the fjord brought a chain of waterfalls, dark basalt ravines, and wide views back toward the sea. In Seyðisfjörður, the rainbow street, blue church, timber houses, and calm lagoon added a bright human interlude. Beyond the pass, the landscape opened into volcanic plains and distant rain showers before the immense drop of Dettifoss appeared beneath a vivid rainbow. Evening light then followed the lupine-covered shores and cliffs of Tjörnes, before the journey ended among the mineral colors, bubbling mud, and rising steam of Hverir near Mývatn.

Iceland's East: From Djúpivogur to Mjóifjörður

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Day 4 begins on the coast near Djúpivogur, where small lighthouses, dark volcanic rock, and bright water mark the meeting of the Eastfjords and the open Atlantic. The road bends into Berufjörður beneath immense terraces of basalt, passing quiet farms and flocks of sheep before reaching the vivid blue water and layered cascades of the Fossá River. At Sveinsstekksfoss, the river gathers its force and drops through a narrow gorge on its way to the fjord.

Iceland Green & Blue: From Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Djúpivogur

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

From Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Djúpivogur, the Ring Road unfolded through landscapes shaped by ice, water, and volcanic stone. Along the way were moss-covered canyons, drifting icebergs, stormy shores, grazing Icelandic horses, and mountains disappearing into the clouds.

Icelandic Waterfalls, Glaciers & Black-Sand Shores: From Sprengisandur to Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The second day began amid the vast, exposed landscapes around Sprengisandur, where roads cut through dark volcanic ground and snow-streaked mountains waited beneath shifting clouds. It was a landscape that felt almost empty—until patches of brilliant grass, roadside lupines and herds of Icelandic horses brought sudden color and life.

Iceland Beyond the Highlands: From Selfoss to Sprengisandur

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

In June 2026, the journey from the familiar trails of Selfoss into the deep, unpredictable interior of Sprengisandur felt like crossing into another world. The landscape fractured and shifted, trading lush river valleys and thunderous waterfalls for stark, wind-scoured plains. Dropping our bags at Hotel Hrauneyjar for the first night was a surreal experience; surrounded by an immense, silent emptiness, it felt less like a waypoint and more like a solitary outpost in a science-fiction film. These final images capture the breathtaking contrast of this route, bridging the gap between a hidden, verdant oasis and the desolate, alien frontier of the Icelandic highlands.